Boxing legend Phillip “The Time Bomb” Ndou has made a stern call on all sponsors across South Africa to come to the party and help save the iconic sport before it dies.
It is no secret that the fistic sport in South Africa is on a downward trajectory, with the corporate world seemingly not interested in injecting money into an industry that desperately needs saving.
Ndou, who was an intercontinental featherweight, WBA, WBU and WBC international junior lightweight title holder, has since bemoaned the state of boxing in the country, saying there was enough attention paid to the sport.
Recently, famous boxing world champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather graced South Africa with his presence, to honour boxing legends and to raise funds for youth in boxing through his Youth Empowerment Programme.
In an exclusive interview with Sunday World, Ndou acknowledged Mayweather’s visit to the country for his Motherland Tour, saying he hoped the visit would convince sponsors to give a helping hand to revive the decaying sport.
“For him [Mayweather] to take his time and visit South Africa, I believe and trust that it will bring boxing back together again,” Ndou said.
“I believe that the sponsors will see that we need them as the boxing fraternity because one of the greatest fighters in the world took the initiative to come here and try to do it himself .
“The fact of the matter is we do need sponsors because without them, boxing will never go anywhere. Look at our football, rugby, and other sports, they have enough sponsorship to flourish, so why not boxing? So, my message to the sponsors is that they must wake up before it’s too late, because our youngsters have no future in the sport.”
Ndou is still the only South African boxer to have shared the ring with Mayweather, a bout that ended in a seven-round defeat.
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